Add Northeast Ohio to the list of potential hosts for a future NFL draft.
The Cleveland Browns, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission have partnered to submit a bid to host the annual event in either 2019 or 2020. The 2019 draft would mark an opportunity to celebrate the league's 100th season, or its centennial in 2020. The league was formed in Canton, Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, on Aug. 20, 1920.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told a group of Browns season-ticket holders Thursday that he was thrilled to see Northeast Ohio bidding to host the draft, per The Canton Repository. Goodell also said 24 other communities are trying to host the draft, according to the report.
"Since even before the establishment of the NFL nearly 100 years ago and the legacies of household names like Jim Brown, Paul Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza, Northeast Ohio has been rooted in football and NFL history and has been dedicated to developing the sport we love at all levels of competition," stated Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam in a release. "With the support of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Cleveland and Canton are the ideal sites for the NFL Draft due to our region's unmatched passion and respect for football, as well as our commitment to its future and the next generation of Hall of Fame players."
The draft was held in Philadelphia this year after being hosted the previous two years in Chicago. Dallas is among the potential sites for next year's draft. Cleveland's competition for the 2019 or 2020 drafts includes the Green Bay Packers, who have submitted proposals to host the event in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
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